Comments on: Bacon Cornbread

By: Renee Schettler Rossi, LC Editor-in-Chief

Renee Schettler Rossi, LC Editor-in-Chief — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:25:22 +0000

Thanks for the tip, Kelly! Nothing worse than disappointing cornbread…not when you know just how soul-satisfyingly good it can be.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:45:04 +0000

I’ve made this scrumptious cornbread on four separate occasions. It has come out perfectly delicious every single time. The only thing that could destroy this recipe is the amount of time it takes to cook. Some ovens don’t convey heat like others do. If you take it out of the oven too early, you get a “gummy texture.”

By: Renee Schettler Rossi, LC Editor-in-Chief

Renee Schettler Rossi, LC Editor-in-Chief — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:33:08 +0000

Seems like it, Barb! It’s heartening to know that some things are still built to last…as opposed to just about everything else nowadays which tend to be viewed as disposable…

By: Barb

Barb — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:34:52 +0000

My baking powder expired in 2008 (wish they sold it in smaller containers as I never use it all before it expires).

However, it still bubbles up right away when I put it in hot water, so I assume it is still good?

By: David Leite

David Leite — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:57:12 +0000

Kimberley, I’m sorry the cornbread didn’t come up perfectly. A smaller pan size would mean the batter was deeper, and therefore needed extra time to bake all the way through. When you make it in the suggested pan, let us know how it turns out.

By: Kimberley W

Kimberley W — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 05:50:48 +0000

Made this over the weekend to go with the pork spareribs I was cooking (yes, cooking, not grilling!). Unfortunately, I only had a 9″ round pan – none of my local stores had 10″ pans! So… my result was not great. From the edge in about 1.5″, it was baked fine, but from there to the center, it was “creamy.” From the portions that did bake, I was able to get a pretty good sampling, and the recipe is great!! However, in the future, I think I’ll go with the suggested 9 x 13 pan (now that I have one of those, too!), and I’ll bet it comes out just perfect!

By: Cindi Kruth [LC Recipe Tester]

Cindi Kruth [LC Recipe Tester] — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:51:08 +0000

Tiffany, sorry you had a disappointing result. This recipe has a few unusual twists that suggest a couple of spots where errors could occur that might result in a poor texture.

The coarse cornmeal needs to be soaked in the buttermilk to properly hydrate and soften. If it doesn’t absorb enough liquid it could conceivably cause a too moist interior. A too short baking time or a too low temperature could leave the bread wet and gummy. A pan of the wrong dimensions could make the loaf too thick. A pan of shiny metal will reflect rather than absorb the heat, effectively lowering baking the temperature. Not fully preheating the pan and the fat would cause the same result.

If the top was golden brown and the internal temperature 185°F, then cooking temperature was probably not the problem. Sometimes despite being within the expiration period, leaveners do lose strength. You can test them by dissolving a little bit in either hot water (baking powder) or vinegar (baking soda). They should bubble immediately and fiercely. This wet dense batter does require the freshest leaveners.

Finally, make sure not to cut the cornbread before it cools for at least the 15 minutes suggested. Bread texture is easily ruined by cutting it while it is too hot.

I hope this is helpful.

Cindi

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:14:57 +0000

So disappointed with the gummy texture :( Double checked and my leavening agents were not expired either.